2007 PAC Cross Country Preview

BETHANY BISON
The women's team only lost two seniors in 2006 and looks to return a solid group of returners led by seniors Chantal Stettinius and Heather Moore. On the men's side the Bison look for sophomore Patrick Miller, junior Eric Scheller and junior Matt Schlemmer to round out a line-up that is looking to improve in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.


GENEVA GOLDEN TORNADOES
Geneva’s cross country teams are in two different places in terms of their rosters for 2007. While the women’s team is looking forward to the return of several veterans this season, the men’s team is much younger and will try to implement some new faces for the upcoming season.

Head coach Bret Otte is well aware of the challenges facing both of his teams and he is prepared to meet those challenges head on. “We are very excited about the upcoming season,” said the nine year head coach. “Clearly our women are a bit ahead of where our men’s team is simply in the amount of experience that they possess on the college level. But it will be an exciting season for our guys to see which people step up and make significant improvements.”

Geneva’s men’s team will be anchored by lone senior Phil Falk. Brother Josh Falk is the only sophomore on the roster and the second most experienced runner on the team.

With the Falk brothers leading the way, a group of four freshmen will be asked to contribute immediately. “This is what we call initiation by fire,” said Otte.

Freshmen Josh Gunnett, Ryan Curley, Ryan Thorn and Matt Reeves will all be making their collegiate debuts for the Golden Tornadoes this fall. “This group certainly has the potential to give us something special this year, but you just never know how freshmen will react when they are asked to contribute so quickly. I am, however, very excited about the possibilities.”

While Otte is in wait and see mode for the men’s team, his women’s team has already shown its coach what it is capable of doing. A total of four women are returning for Geneva’s team that has enjoyed experience as national qualifiers. A total of seven women will return for the 2007 season with very high expectations. “We actually have seven women on this team that have the potential to dip under the 20 minute barrier,” said Otte. “If that indeed happens, it would make for an outstanding team.”

Beth Bartolomeo, Susan Fletcher, Sara Morrison and Rebecca VanRegenmorter have all enjoyed success throughout their careers and all have competed at national events. While Bartolomeo and VanRegenmorter qualified in cross country, Fletcher (3000 meter steeplechase) and Morrison (Race Walk) qualified last spring as members of Geneva’s track team. “There is no substitute for experience,” said Otte. “These young ladies know what it takes to be successful and they are all willing to put in the hard work to get results. That frame of mind will certainly rub off on our other runners.”

Otte will welcome just one freshman in 2007 in Sarah Davis. In addition to Davis, Geneva will look to get contributions from upperclassmen Rachel Long, Nella Matthews, Marsha Miller, Nicole Okerlund and Laura Seyler. “We have a great group of ladies that are committed to this program, both on the course and off. It makes for a great experience for me and the coaching staff.”

Although the men’s and women’s teams are made up of different personnel, the goals remain the same. Both teams will look to improve throughout the season and prepare to compete at the PAC Championships and the NCCAA Championships. “Our goals remain constant,” said Otte. “We just want kids to give their best effort and work to improve everyday. If they do that, we will have a tremendous season.”

GROVE CITY WOLVERINES
Grove City looks to defend its men's and women's Presidents' Athletic Conference championships in 2007. The women were crowned PAC champions for the 18th straight year, while the men's team claimed its 16th conference title. On the women's side the Wolverines look to seniors Candice Coholich, Rachel Smith, Amanda Hewitt and Adrienne Sharp to provide upperclassman leadership.

On the men's side Grove City welcomes back a pair of seniors in R.J. Fryan and Joey Cortez.

SAINT VINCENT BEARCATS
The Saint Vincent Bearcats, coached by Andy Herr, return six of their top 9 runners from last season, including top performer Adam Smith. Smith finished first overall in the PAC Championships in late October with a time of 27:33 as a sophomore last season. Wayne Hooper is also looking to have a strong year in ’07.

Two newcomers that could have an impact are Alex Krupey, a junior who did not run last season, and freshman Matt Hagg both look as though they could crack the top 7 this fall.

The Lady Bearcats, coached by Tom Harbert, are led by Laura Magnuson. Magnuson opened 2006 with a second place finish overall in the Fisher Invitational at Westminster, but missed a major portion of the season with an injury. She is healthy this year and looks to lead the squad, which lost two of its top runners to graduation, including Tess Jones, who is now the head XC coach at Pitt-Johnstown.

Three other top performers from last year are back, including Lauren Ziegenfus, Amanda Connell and Kelsey Sullivan. All three have posted sub-21:00 times in the past and will be looked upon to be in the team’s top five each week.

THIEL TOMCATS
After a brief one-year hiatus the Thiel College men's and women's cross country teams are set to rejoin the Presidents' Athletic Conference under first-year head coach Kevin Pool.

Pool, a 2005 Allegheny College graduate, was a three-time NCAA Division III all-American for the Gators. He finished third at the 2005 indoor track and field national championships in the 5,000 meters and posted a pair of top 20 finishes at the cross country national championships. His 10th place finish at the 2003 national championships was the highest-ever finish by a male North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) runner.

"I'm excited that this year's team can establish a new cross country tradition at Thiel.  Although the team is relatively inexperienced, I think the athletes will make great strides over the course of the season.  I look forward to seeing them all performing at their best at the end of the season when it matters most," said Pool.

Juniors Klavin Boyd, Adam Evans and Deighton Williams are expected to lead the men's squad while junior Kate DeGeorge sophomores Sarah McAfee and Rebecca Walton will look to pace the women's squad.

Williams earned a sixth-place finish at the 2006 PAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 800-meter run while Boyd finished 12th in the event. Evans posted a sixth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and a 10th place finish in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles.

DeGeorge ran to a fifth-place finish in the 800-meter run at the conference championships last season. McAfee posted a seventh-place finish in the 800 while Walton finished seventh in the 1,500-meter run and 17th in the 800.

When asked what will it take for a student-athlete to be a successful runner in his program, Pool said "A good cross country runner needs to be very intrinsically motivated and goal-oriented.  To be able to push your body to its limits the way you do in a cross country race takes a special person.  To be a great cross country runner, you have to enjoy the training that allows you to compete at a high level."

THOMAS MORE SAINTS
The Thomas More cross country program will be under the direction of first-year head coach Brian Alessandro.

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS
The Washington & Jefferson College men’s and women’s cross country programs have continued to improve each year under head coach Mark FitzPatrick. As FitzPatrick enters his fifth year, the Presidents’ rosters have increased along with the group’s expectations. 

On the men’s side, FitzPatrick welcomes back senior Matthew Rudzki, who was traveling abroad last fall. Rudzki became the first President in history to capture a PAC men’s title as a sophomore and was the league runner-up as a freshman. He also earned all-region laurels in 2005. 

Junior Bobby Regan has twice recorded All-PAC honors, including a fourth-place showing at last year’s conference event. Sophomore Will Seymour ended the year on a high note at the NCAA Regionals and will be a contender at the conference championships. 

Juniors Matthew Toldero, Travis Bui, Alan Cannella, Andrew Nowak and Pete Stahl are all looking to help the team improve its third-place finish at the 2006 PAC Championships. 

Junior Erin Long will pace the women’s squad for a third consecutive season. Long was the runner-up at last year’s conference championships after taking third place as a freshman.  She has twice earned all-region status, including last season’s 21st place finish. 

Senior Ashley Holman grabbed 49th place at the PAC Championships last year, while classmates Crystalyn Lee and Molly Sykes will provide depth for the squad. Junior Megan Duffet and three newcomers round out the 2007 squad. 

Washington & Jefferson College opens its 2007 season on Saturday at the Case Western Reserve Sudeck Classic in Cleveland, Ohio. 

WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS

The Waynesburg University cross country team look to improve on its historic season last year as they begin the 2007 season. Both the men's and women's teams placed second at the Presidents' Athletic Conference championships. The men's team looks to senior Tim Monaghan and sophomore Andrew Archbold who both received second team All-PAC honors from the conference last year.

The women's team will be anchored by a pair of Colorado natives in senior Michelle Propst and junior Megan Grover. Both Propst and Grover earned first team All-PAC honors last season.

WESTMINSTER TITANS
The Westminster College men's and women's cross country teams begin an exciting new era in 2007. For the first time in the history of the program, Westminster will have a full-time coach concentrating on the teams.

Tim McNeil, a 1996 Westminster alumnus, was hired as the head coach of the Titan men's and women's cross country teams as well as the men's and women's track and field teams in July.

"I am very happy to have the opportunity to come back to Westminster College," said McNeil a former track and football star for the Titans. "I am excited to again be a part of Titan athletics and I look forward to working together with the student-athletes to make these two programs stronger."

Westminster is already reaping the benefits of a full-time coach even before the gun is fired at the first race. The size of the Titan men's team has doubled from 2006 with 12 runners on board for the 2007 season. The team, which placed fourth at the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championships in 2006, features a healthy balance of three seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and one freshman.

The Titan men return four out of five lettermen, including seniors Joey Knott, Will DeLair and Cory Criss. Junior Aaron Titus is also back after lettering in 2006.

The Titan women's team, which placed third in the PAC a year ago, features nine runners, including two seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.

Westminster returns six of eight letter-winners from 2006, including sophomore standout Elizabeth Beardsley. Beardsley was the team MVP last year after placing 22nd at the PAC Championships to earn second-team all-PAC honors. Beardsley ran the 6-kilometer race at Waynesburg in a time of 26:30.

Senior Leanna Stitt is also returning after she placed 40th at the PAC meet and earned second-team Academic All-District honors last year.

The other returning letter-winners for the Titan women include senior Amy Carroll, junior Shalyn Eakin, and sophomores Michelle Bistrica and Amanda Everett.

Both teams open the season Saturday, Sept. 1, when Westminster hosts the Fisher Invitational.

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